Alabama honored senior Abby Duchscherer pregame, and left little doubt against the Bison.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala –– No. 7 Alabama softball continued its dominant stretch at Rhoads Stadium, run-ruling North Dakota State 13-0 in five innings Saturday behind an explosive offensive performance and a combined two-hit shutout in the circle.
Alabama wasted little time taking control. After working around two walks in the top of the first, the Crimson Tide capitalized immediately in the bottom half. Ana Roman doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a defensive miscue before Ambrey Taylor launched a two-run home run to right, putting Alabama up 3-0. The Tide broke the game open in the second inning with a two-out rally. Salen Hawkins delivered a two-RBI single, and Jena Young followed with a two-RBI hit that turned into extra bases on an outfield error. Another error brought in a run as Alabama extended its lead to 8-0. “I think I chose better pitches to swing at,” Hawkins said. “That definitely helps me instead of swinging at balls — just staying disciplined at the plate.” That discipline showed throughout the lineup, as Alabama drew multiple walks and forced three NDSU errors in the inning alone. In the circle, Kaitlyn Pallozzi set the tone early, allowing just one hit across three scoreless innings while working efficiently through traffic. Alabama added another run in the third on Hawkins’ RBI single before putting the game out of reach in the fourth. After a leadoff single and an error, Holly Beth Brooks delivered a two-RBI single for her first hit of the season, a moment that energized the dugout. “Ambrey, she’s such a stud,” Taylor said. “And Holly Beth, I literally forgot that I was up to bat because I was out there cheering for her.” Moments later, Taylor struck again, blasting her second two-run home run of the day to extend the lead to 13-0. “My team has so much confidence in me and I don’t have to do too much,” Taylor said. “And I wanted to do good for Abby. It’s all about her today.”Braya Hodges entered in the fifth to close it out. After allowing a leadoff single, she forced a fielder’s choice, recorded a strikeout and induced a groundout to seal the run-rule victory.“The confidence should be sky high for everybody, because everybody in the lineup did something good today,” Murphy said. With contributions throughout the order and dominant pitching, Alabama secured another run-rule win and carried momentum into its upcoming SEC matchup against No. 1 Texas. “It’s gonna be pretty similar to last year with the Oklahoma series," Murphy said. "They’ve come here for a tournament, but this is their first time SEC-wise, I believe. So it’s just gonna be a great atmosphere at Rhoads House. A lot of people have asked for tickets already for me, so I’m hoping for three sellouts, because it’s a Thursday, Friday, Saturday series. Two of the three are on national television, which adds to the excitement, but it is a big-time softball series for sure.”Henry Sklar is an intern at Alabama Crimson Tide/Bama Central. He previously covered Alabama football and basketball for TideIllustrated.com and was a contributing writer for The Crimson White, focusing on golf and football. He also has extensive experience on social media, including TikTok. He’s lived in six different states, enjoys playing golf and DJing in his free time while majoring in News Media with a concentration in sports media.How To Watch Alabama Baseball's SEC Home-Opening Series Against FloridaKentucky vs. Texas Prediction, Odds, Key Player for Women's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Alabama's Body Camera Footage: Limited Public Access and Calls for TransparencyThe state of Alabama faces scrutiny over its policies regarding body camera footage from law enforcement, with limited public access raising concerns about transparency and accountability. Current laws restrict access to the footage, leading to calls for reform and greater public availability.
Read more »
Michigan Star Yaxel Lendeborg has Extra Motivation in Sweet 16 Game vs. AlabamaThe Wolverines' star player explains why he is excited to face the Tide.
Read more »
Alabama Forestry Commission issues fire restrictions due to weather conditionsMontgomery, Alabama
Read more »
Tips on surviving allergy season in AlabamaMontgomery, Alabama
Read more »
Alabama forestry officials issue burn ban for the weekend ahead of red flag warningRestrictions begin Friday as wildfire risk increases across the state
Read more »
Tyler Fay's 'Workman-Like Outing' Sets Tone For Alabama's Dominant Day on the MoundAlabama held No. 5 Auburn to just three hits in an 11-1 run rule victory.
Read more »